Empowerment with a Capital E

I started reading Thrive by Ariana Huffington this weekend – I’ve admittedly been slacking on my personal reading. The book centers around redefining success and creating a life of “well-being, wisdom, and wonder.” Sold! Halfway through my reading last night I came upon a wonderful quote that’s been on my mind since:

I especially love the last part – our heart is what’s important. Physically, sure, but I think emotionally, spiritually and psychologically as well. The ability to say no and make choices that are in our best interest are at the heart of self-love. This extends to what society tells us about our bodies and our beauty also. I can’t help but draw a comparison to a magazine telling women how to dress their “pear” shapes or their “ample busts” while forgetting that we have feelings, thoughts, and are capable of making choices. Or less subtly, we see naked women through film or social media and believe that’s how we should all look. Maybe our partners view pornography and have skewed views of how we should look naked. Either way, it wears on our hearts.

I read somewhere that our area of greatest personal challenge can be our area of greatest ministry, and I abolutely believe that to be true. My self-esteem has been dragged through the mud (more on that later) and I knew from the beginning that Modern Seamstress was never just about sewing. It’s my personal mission to teach women to love their bodies just as they are, and to empower them to make decisions based on their needs and tastes.

I’ve long been thinking of the best way to share my personal story and the challenges I endured, while also counseling other women who have experienced or are experiencing the same thing. Magic struck on Friday when I met with Melanie, CEO of Alma Diem, and my heart desire met her creative mind. I’m excited to anounce that we’ll be working on a conference for women, led by women, that focuses on body image, self-love and empowerment. The conference will consist of keynote talks on body image, pornography & social media influence, self-love, and self-care, as well as meditative and creative exercises that can be used to heal wounds of trauma. I am so looking forward to working on this through 2016, and hopefully hosting this event Spring 2017.

This event will require a great deal of energy and personal reflection, so I ask that all of you send your prayers, good vibes, karma or what have you my way. A million thanks in advance.